To Hear You Say You Love Me
by pokemypocky
Summary: Lightning has run away in order to heal her broken heart. Cloud can't resolve his mixed emotions over both Tifa and Aerith. But now that these two kindred spirits have met, will fate have a hand in helping them heal their wounded hearts?
1. Pro: Unexpected Call

_**I do not own the "Final Fantasy" series or any of the characters in this story,**_

_**Nor do I own the title song.**_

"**To Hear You Say You Love Me"**

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><p>PROLOGUE<p>

Unexpected Call

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><p>"C'mon, Light! The sun's already going down! We're gonna miss it!"<p>

Lightning groaned. _What did I ever see in him? _she wondered. "Take it easy! I'll be down in a minute!" She returned her attention to the elongated mirror on the wall and double checked her hair. Even she had to admit that this girlish habit that was most unlike her, but she wanted to look her best for when she met with Lieutenant Amodar. He said on the phone that he had something important to talk to her about. Why he chose the Bodhum Fireworks Festival, when she would be on guard duty, was anybody's guess. She stepped back to get a better look at her outfit. Uniform, check. Gunblade, check. After all, a soldier could never be too careful during these types of public events.

And, of course, she wouldn't forget her ring; the one she had been wearing non-stop for the last eight months. A bittersweet reminder of a time in her life she would probably never forget. The memories that were attached to this ring made it too painful to look at. Yet, she could never bring herself to take it off…

Serah was the next one to call to her. "Please come down now, Lightning! It's getting late, and Snow's getting nervous."

"Alright, already! I'm coming!" After one more glance-over in the mirror, she scuttled downstairs and stepped casually into the kitchen where Snow and Serah were waiting.

Snow was more relaxed now that Lightning was finally ready. "Took you long enough," he mumbled under his breath.

Lightning's firm scowl made him take a few steps back. He smiled nervously as he held his hands up in defense. "Hey, I was just kidding, sis. You know that."

"Don't call me 'sis,'" she snapped. That was Serah's name for her, not his.

Serah scoffed. "Enough, you two. We don't have time for this."

Lightning smirked. That was something she might've said herself. It was nice to know that, in some ways, Serah was picking up a few of her traits. And she would need them now that she was with a guy like Snow Villiers!

Just as they were all about to head out, the phone rang.

The party froze mid-way out the door, and with a heavy sigh, Snow hung his head. "Oh, great…"

Lightning turned on her heel and headed toward the phone. "It might be the Lieutenant. I should take this… You guys go on the motorcycle. I'll meet you there."

"Fine by me," Snow said eagerly.

Serah linked her arm with his as they left the house, closing the door behind them.

Lightning pressed the talk button and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Um, hi… Is Claire Farron there?"

Lightning quietly caught her breath. It wasn't the Lieutenant, but this guy's voice sounded a bit _too_ familiar. Yet, she wouldn't allow herself to falter. "Speaking," she replied with her usual manner of authority in her voice.

There other end of the line was quiet for a few seconds. Then, finally, he spoke again. "Hi, Light."

No doubt about it. It was really him.

At last, Lightning's pretence fell away. For an instant, she thought she might even cry. "Oh my God." The words escaped her lips in a whisper. Maybe they were prompted by the intense pounding of her heart. "How did you find me?"


	2. Ch 1: Lost Loves

CHAPTER ONE

Lost Loves

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><p><em>Eight months earlier…<em>

_**oOo**_

The kitchen table was decorated with a cake and a few presents, but not even that would ease the tension in the room. Here it was, Lightning's birthday, so why did she had to be this livid? "Let me get this straight. You're gonna marry this idiot? And you think I'm gonna approve of that? Great points for stupidity."

Serah and Snow were equally disappointed by her reaction. They had hoped that telling her about their engagement would've gone a little better.

Lightning stood up from her seat, keeping her hand pressed firmly on the table in order to keep herself as calm as possible. "But don't forget. If you really wanna get married-" She was talking to Snow now. "it's your job to deal with her; I'll be done with it."

Serah raised her chin. The extreme pang of hurt in her heart masked her face. "Sis…"

Lighting turned away, ignoring her. "This is ridiculous. Worst birthday ever."

Serah couldn't hide her emotions anymore. She ran out of the kitchen and escaped to the outside as she wiped her tears away.

"Wait! Serah!" Snow reached out after her, but the front door had already closed. He scowled and turning his attention back to Lightning. "Why won't you give us your blessing?" he demanded as he stomped along the floor.

She glared at him, matching his blue-eyed gaze with hers. "You kidding me? You don't have a job, can't hardly pay your rent most of the time-And yet, you pop the question?"

Snow slammed his hands down onto the table, making it jiggle. "Lightning, stop it!"

She matching his actions, jarring the table even harder than he had. "No, you stop it! Get out of my house!" But the truth was that she wanted him to stay. To accept her apology. To hold her in his strong arms and listen… while she explained the _real_ reason why she was angry.

She was more in love with him than Serah was. Of course, there was no way she could bring herself to admit this out loud.

"You're shutting her out! She's your sister!"

For a moment, all Lightning could do was stare at him. Even while he was angry, Snow was still the best looking guy she'd ever met. No, he wasn't perfect. No, he wasn't level headed. Yes, he was the total opposite of her altogether. But for some reason, he was still the secret object of her heart's affection.

Every since her parents died, Lightning had given up so much for Serah-even her real name-in order to join the Guardian Corps. Granted, the job wasn't the safest in the world, but it made good money. They were first introduced to Snow when he was working at the local diner. Lightning answered the door one night when he delivered their take-out order, and was immediately taken aback by his good looks. From that point on, she would order take-out at least once every week as an excuse for him to come visit. After a while, they all became good friends… But after a while, Snow's attention fell more onto Serah than it did Lightning.

She honestly didn't think their relationship would last, so she just sat back and said nothing while her sister went on being happy. After all, that's why she had made so many sacrifices to begin with, right? Eventually, they'd both realize that they weren't right for each other, and after a sufficient amount of time had passed, Lightning would make her first move onto Snow.

But that would never happen now… How in the world could their relationship have come to this?

With a scoff, Lightning pushed herself away from the table, crossing her arms again as she looked away.

"Fine," Snow said, giving up on the argument. "I'll do it. I'll protect her." With that, he marched out of the kitchen and slammed the door as he left the house.

Lightning remained frozen in place, allowing her firm expression to softening as her real emotions began to surface.

Later, when she was finished washing the dishes, she went back over to the table and noticed her unopened present from Serah. The white box had a rainbow colored bow taped to the top of it. Depressed, Lightning lifted the lid. Inside was a small dagger; the one she had wanted from the Bodhum weaponry shop, but couldn't afford. She guessed that Serah and Snow must've both chipped in to buy it for her. "How practical," she said to herself as she examined the new, clean blade.

She glanced up at the clock. It was getting late. Obviously, Serah and Snow weren't coming back tonight… But they _would_ be back eventually because Serah would moving in with him, meaning Lightning would have to face them… all over again.

No, she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Lightning folded the dagger, concealed it in her pocket and, without giving her actions much thought, hurried upstairs to her room. She cleaned out all her dresser drawers and packed her clothes into every travel bag she could find. Before leaving the house, she made sure all the electronics were off and locked the door (good thing Serah had her own key).

From there, Lightning climbed into her car and threw her luggage in the backseat. She revved the engine and took off onto the open road. She had no idea where she was headed. But at the moment, any place was better than home.

**oOo**

"Man, Cloud. Business had been booming since we got this website up and running."

"Well, you have yourself to thank. It was your idea." Cloud was laying down on their lumpy old couch, trying to get some rest before his next job. The last one took him three days to complete. Three whole days, just to get to his destination and back. It was taking a painful toll on his body, even though he had built up more muscles as a result. "While you're at it, you wanna post a job listing on there?"

Tifa turned away from the computer and stared at him with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Really. If that website's as good as you say it is, then I'll need all the help I can get!"

She smiled. "Consider it done." She turned back around in her computer chair and began the process of adding a new page to the website, then typed for a few minutes. "Alright. How does this sound for want-add?"

**Wanted!**

**Package carrier with extensive traveling experience.**

**Battle skills are ****REQUIRED****, due to the increase in recent monster attacks.**

**Pays 15 Gil per hour, with possibility of room and board in sector seven of Midgar.**

"Are you sure it's a good idea to open our place to a perfect stranger?" Cloud commented.

"With fifteen Gil an hour attached, yes," Tifa insisted. "Midgar's not exactly the bustling metropolis it was before Meteor; people just don't wanna live here. But someone might consider it if they need a well paying job bad enough."

"In other words, we're paying them to live with us, too?"

"Pretty much… Oh! I just got an e-mail!"

Cloud groaned and rolled over onto his side. Great. Another job obligation before he had even begun to recuperate from the last one.

"Want the order form?" Tifa asked.

"Sure," he mumbled.

Tifa clicked the PRINT button, and within seconds, the order sheet came sliding out. She took it over to the couch and dangled it in front of Cloud's face. He reached up to grip the bottom right order was for one Blazefire Saber, 275 Gil with tax included.

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the name of the recipient. What kind of parent would name their kid 'Lightning?' Then again, his mother was the one who decided to name _him_ Cloud, so weather names must not be as uncommon as he thought. He stretched out his still aching muscles and pushed himself up off the couch.

"You're leaving already?" Tifa asked.

"Might as well get this one over with." He headed for the stock room to get the item saying, "Tell Marlene and Denzel that I'll be back tomorrow."

**oOo**

Even though the long trips were hard, a good motorcycle ride always seemed to make Cloud feel better. The adrenalin rush was amazing, especially when he was off-roading on a dirt path like this one. That, and it helped him clear his mind. Maybe while he was in Kalm, he might find a nice engagement ring for Tifa. After all the years she had remained by his side, she deserved at least that much from him… even though he wasn't sure if he loved her in _that_ way. But the idea of them being married made sense. After all, they had been friends since childhood, and now business partners.

Suddenly, the motorcycle disappeared right out from under him.

Cloud stumbled forward, but managed to catch himself before falling into a grassy field of flowers. He was standing in a meadow completely surrounded in white light.

And someone else was there, standing back to back with him. "Here we are again," she said.

Cloud inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. It was Aerith. The onne woman he thought he might've _really_ loved. The one who died in his arms. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, his voice breaking. "You realize that these random visits are torturing me, you know that?"

The tone in her voice remained gentle and soft, as it always had been. "I'm hoping to help you get your priorities straight," she replied.

Cloud's eyes popped open. "My priorities?" he repeated, confused.

Aerith giggled. "Dilly dally, shilly shally," she said. "You'll find out what I mean soon enough. You'll see."

And in the next instant, he was back on his motorcycle.


	3. Ch 2: Travel Troubles

CHAPTER TWO

Travel Troubles

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><p>The village of Kalm seemed like a good place to ease one's nerves. Things were relatively quiet here, even in the hotel-a place where Lightning was more accustomed to their being parties and drunken escapades. At least, that's how things sometimes were in Bodhum. She'd probably keep on renting this hotel room until her money was gone, or at least until the manager kicked her out. Either way, she was going to stay as far away from home as possible for as long as she could.<p>

She was exhausted after her all-night drive, and with the price of renting the room, it wouldn't be long before the her savings was dried up… Then, she'd have to call one of her friends to come pick her up, take her home, and ultimately face the music. But at least for now, she had found a little piece while laying on the soft bed.

That's when her cell phone rang… again.

She didn't need to check the caller I.D. to know who it was. Instead, she grabbed the extra pillow and placed it over her ear until the ringing stopped.

"Lightning, it's Snow."

Her blood-shot eyes popped open. This was the last person she wanted to hear from right now. _Crap._ _I forgot to turn the speaker phone feature off._

"Look, you've made your point, okay? Serah's so worried about you that she cries constantly. The least you could do is return one of her phone calls!"

Lightening grunted. _Just shut up, you stupid, idiotic, happy-go-lucky-_

He hung up before she could finish her thought.

Relieved, Lightning reached over and grabbed her phone to run it off completely. Then she replaced it on the nightstand and rolled over, falling asleep.

**oOo**

_Knock, Knock, Knock._

Lightning yawned when she woke up. Her body still felt tired, but at least she had gotten some good sleep in the last few hours. "Who is it?" she asked, her voice sounding heavy with fatigue.

"Strife's Deliver Service. I've got your Blazefire Gunblade with me."

"Oh… Alright, hold on a minute." She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before grabbing her wallet. Given the cost of the room and gas for the car, ordering such an expensive weapon probably wasn't the best idea in the world. But underneath her soldier exterior, there was still a _woman_ in there. And women liked to shop-especially when they were as depressed as she was.

She ran a brush through her light-rose hair before opening the door with her wallet in hand. The guy was holding an elongated box under his arm. "Is that mine?"

"Yeah." He handed her the box, along with his clipboard.

She quickly scribbled her name down, not looking up at him. "Thanks," she said as she handed him the clipboard, and the money.

With the transaction complete, she went back inside her room and closed the door, then pressed her back against it as she exhaled. With the blonde hair and blue eyes, he was an instant reminder of Snow.

She grunted. _Why is fate treating me like this? Haven't I suffered enough?_

Then, her stomach growled, and she remembered that she hadn't eaten at all since she left home.

Cloud remained frozen outside her door for a moment in order to recompose himself. That woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Her soft hair, her blue eyes, her smooth skin… He was mentally thanking Gaia for the existence of T-shirts and shorts; that pajama combination flattered her figure perfectly. Even her low-toned voice left her a mysterious aura about her.

Finally, he made himself march back down the hall to the stairs. He rang the bell at the front desk, signaling for the manager came out of his office. "I need a room," Cloud said flatly.

"I'm sorry, mister. We're all booked up for the night."

Cloud's shoulder's drooped. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. Sorry. You'll have to look somewhere else."

"It's nine at night, and there are no other hotels in this town. Where do you expect me to go!"

The manager shrugged. "What can I say? Not my problem, buddy."

Cloud scowled harshly at him before turning and stomping away.

"Wait."

He paused just before opening the door and looked back over his shoulder. It was _her!_ The only difference being that she was wearing a sweatshirt now.

"Can he stay in my room?" she asked the manager.

"As long as he pays his fair, it's fine with me," he said.

"Fine, then… Would you mind having room service send up my dinner now?" She cocked her head towards Cloud. "And I'll pay for his food, too."

Cloud was flabbergasted. Was this woman for real? He turned around further and told her, "Thanks, but I can pay for my own."

She shrugged. "If you insist." With that, she headed back upstairs.

Cloud watched her go as he approached the front desk. She didn't have that feminine sway in her hips as she walked-thank goodness! During his travels, he'd had women offer to stay with them before, and they usually wanted a one-night-stand in exchange for their "kind hospitality." Yet, he had a feeling that this one sincerely wanted to help him.

"Ahem," the manager croaked, getting Cloud's attention. "That'll be one-hundred Gil for the night, sir."


	4. Ch 3: Roommates

CHAPTER THREE

Roommates

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><p>It wasn't until Lightning got back to her room that she found herself questioning her own actions. <em>Wait… What am I doing?<em> Did she really just offer to share her room with a perfect stranger?

There was another knock on the door. "Room service."

"It's unlocked," Lightning said. She watched from the corner of the room as the butler wheeled the cart in, with the spiky-haired blonde trailing behind him. There were two platters of food on the tray.

"There you go. Enjoy your dinner." The butler closed the door behind him when he left.

Lightning watched as the blonde wordlessly examined the trays, like they were the most interesting thing in the whole room. She noted how tired he looked. He must've been traveling too much, or something.

At last, he met Lightning's gaze. "Thanks for this. You know, the room."

"Welcome," she replied, crossing her arms. "However, since it was _my_ room to begin with, I'm laying down some ground rules."

He blinked. "What kind of 'rules?'" he asked.

Her tone was firm. "You get the couch, I get the bed. And don't touch my stuff, including my Gunblade… Even though I bought if from you in the first place."

"But it's yours now," he said. "I understand that."

"Good… Oh, and if you try anything funny in the middle of the night, you're outa here."

He was taken aback. "What do you mean by 'funny?'"

"You're a man. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Insulted, he took his dinner plate and sat down on the couch, his back turned to her.

Lightning moved toward the cart and grabbed her own platter, then sat down on the bed and lifted the lid. "This isn't what I ordered," she stated.

"Mine isn't, either," he said. "Did you order the chicken?"

"Yeah."

They both stood up to exchange platters, Lightning didn't look away this time. She kept her eyes on his handsome face, taking in his every feature. There was something familiar about him-and not just because he resembled Snow. Maybe in the last few years since joining the Guardian Corps, she might've met him somewhere. She just couldn't pinpoint the exact location right now.

He noticed the way she was staring at him and asked, "What?"

She made no qualms about being subtle. "Have we met before?"

"Maybe. I've done a lot of traveling… You're name's Lightning, right?"

"Right. And you are?"

He was hesitant at first, but relented with his first name only. "Cloud."

In that instant, Lightning caught her breath. "Cloud?" she repeated. "As in, Cloud Strife? The soldier of fortune who saved the world from Meteor?"

He grinned. "Didn't know I was that big of a celebrity."

Her jaw dropped. "You're _more_ than a celebrity! After the Meteor incident, people were applying to become soldiers left and right!"

He twisted his mouth. "How… flattering."

She blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that that's not how I wanted to be remembered."

"Oh, right… I'll shut up now." She sat back down on the bed and picked up her knife and fork. She had forgotten that he once wanted to join Shinra's elite SOLDIER army, but failed to do so. Maybe she had just put her foot in her mouth by mistake, along with her chicken.

Suddenly, Cloud starling laughing under his breath.

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Nothing," he chuckled. "I'm just surprised that you're not jumping all over me, like most women do when they find out who I am."

She directed her attention back to her plate. "I'm not most women," she replied, taking a bite. "Speaking of which, my rules for this room still stand, okay?" _Even if you are a hero._

"Okay." He sat back down on the couch, and from there, the two ate in silence.

**oOo**

Lightning decided to let Cloud use the bathroom first. That way, she'd have some privacy so she could check her messages. Apparently, Snow and Serah had spread the word about her disappearance to every one of their friends, because her message inbox was loaded with messages from Hope and Sahz now.

This only made her angrier. _Maybe I'll need to get my number changed…_

She turned her phone off when Cloud came out of the bathroom. His hair was still a bit wet from being in the shower. "Sleep well?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he replied.

They were quiet for a moment before Lightning cleared her throat, ending the awkward silence. "Well…" She extended her hand to shake. "it was nice meeting you, Cloud Strife."

He shook hands with her. "Same to you, Lightning." Then he turned to head for the door. "Thanks for the hospitality. Hope you get good use out of your new weapon."

"You're welcome. And I will."

Cloud mounted his motorcycle and put on his sunglasses. From here, it was back to Midgar. On to the next job. But next time, he'd be sure to call ahead and book a room in advance.

Or… would he?

He stared up at Lightning's bedroom window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her so that he could wave goodbye. Who knows? Maybe they'd meet again one day…

"HELP!" someone screamed. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Cloud jerked his head toward the open street. A group of terrified people were screaming as they ran from a vicious pack of monsters. He instinctively jumped off his bike, reached for his broadsword and went into action.

Taking down the small monsters proved to be a piece of cake. He was about to replace his weapon, but realized that the people were still frantic. That's when a giant shadow came over him from behind, and he looked over his shoulder.

A large, green Behemoth had barreled its way into the town. It was angry, probably due to hunger, and was out looking for a tasty human meal to chomp on.

Cloud spun around and scowled at the beast. There wasn't much time to act. He figured that a Braver might be enough to do the trick on this guy. He dug his heals into the ground and took deep breaths, preparing his body for the attack.

But he didn't have the chance to act.

Lightning landed on the Behemoth's back, but instead of stabbing it in the head, she hopped down onto the ground with her new Gunblade at the ready. She made two strikes against it's leg, then flipped backward, landing a few feet away before the thing had a chance to retaliate.

Lightning's movements were so fluid that Cloud didn't even see her jump down from her window pain. She was so gracefully, so calculative…

The Behemoth growled, causing Cloud to snap back to reality. Once again, he braced himself for his Braver attack: He made a running jump, thrust his sword high above his head, and threw it down into the Behemoth's face.

The monster fell to the ground, lifeless.

Lightning flipped her Gunblade and hid it away again inside her pouch. Cloud replaced his sword against his back and checked on the people. Everyone seemed to be alright, just a bit frazzled and dazed by the recent events.

He turned to Lightning, and that's when he noticed the small piece of armor she wore on her shoulder. "You're in the Guardian Corps!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," she replied. "Didn't I mention that last night?"

"No, you didn't!" He was in such awe over her fighting abilities that his voice was shaking. Aside from his other friends, Lightning had to be one of the most amazing, mysterious, talented-not to mention beautiful-people he'd ever met. And he wasn't ready to part company with her just yet.

Then, he remembered the add Tifa posted on their website.

_**Battle skills are **__**REQUIRED**__**, due to the increase in recent monster attacks.**_

_**Pays 15 Gil per hour, with possibility of room and board in sector seven of Midgar.**_

This made him grin. It was perfect for her.

"Hey, Lightning," he said. "you interested in a job with my company?"


	5. Ch 4: You're Hired!

CHAPTER FOUR

"You're Hired!"

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><p>Lightning sat across the desk from Tifa with her hands resting on her lap, over crossed legs.<p>

The more Tifa read, the more impressed she was. "This resume is fantastic. It's everything we were looking for!"

"Thank you," Lightning replied.

Tifa closed the manila folder and set it aside, lacing her fingers together. "Now, I have only three more questions for you," she began. "One: Would you mind living in Midgar while you're working for us?"

"Not at all. It's better that I'm as close to my job as possible."

"That's great, because we've got a nice vacant apartment all ready for you… Two: Are you good with kids?"

Lightning blinked. "Excuse me?"

Her reaction made Tifa laugh. "We have two children living with us. Marlene and Denzel. They're not _that_ young; about ten and twelve years old."

Lightning relaxed. "In that case, there's no problem." The truth was that she really wasn't that great with kids of any age, but she'd need to accommodate if she wanted to hold down this job. At least they weren't in diapers!

"Wonderful!" Tifa exclaimed. "Alright, last question: Have you ever had experience as a body guard?"

"On plenty of occasions. Why do you ask?"

Tifa grinned. "Because this job is about more than just delivering merchandise…" She lowered the volume of her voice and leaned forward across the desk. "It's about keeping the women away from Cloud while he's working."

Lightning was so caught off guard that she stammered. "O-oh… I see."

"Don't get me wrong. Cloud's not that type of guy. But most women find him a bit _too_ attractive, if you get my meaning."

"Understandable." Lightning replied. _Yep, totally understandable._

**oOo**

"I can't take this anymore," Cloud told her, almost weeping. "Would you please just move on into the white light, or something?"

"I can't, Cloud. Not until you've got your priorities straight," she insisted.

Cloud grunted. "What's with this 'priority' thing, all of a sudden!"

"I just want to make sure you're happy, that's all…"

That's when the office door creaked as it opened.

Cloud opened his eyes and squared his shoulders, relieved that he was standing in his own hallway rather than in the middle of the meadow that was Aerith's new home.

Tifa was smiling as she and Lightning came out. "Congratulations, Cloud. You now have a new partner!"

Cloud shifted his eyes toward Lightning. "Great," he replied soberly.

She made no reply.

"I'm gonna help her take her things up to the apartment," Tifa said. "Would you mind getting dinner started? I'm sure the kids are starving by now. Oh, and Barret's coming over tonight, so you'll need to make extra, okay?"

As the two women passed him, Cloud kept his eyes on Lightning's back. Apparently, she did have a slight sway in her lips, but not so much to suggest that she had a hidden agenda somewhere in her mind. Besides, Tifa's hips did that same thing too, so he figured it was probably a woman thing.

**oOo**

A bed, a bathroom, a nightstand and one window.

Not a five-star suite, but at least it was a roof over her head.

Lightning hadn't planned on joining her new employers for dinner. They had already been kind enough to her live with them, so she would feel bad if she took any of their food. Instead, she checked her messages. Almost all of them were from Serah and Snow; she pressed 'delete' without bothering to listen to them first.

After she was finished unpacking, the next task would be figuring out where she'd get her dinner. She heard Tifa mention that there was a restaurant somewhere in this sector. But when she pulled the curtains back and looked down at all the drunk guys that were staggering through the streets, she made a funny face and decided to pass on the day's last meal. Granted, she probably could've taken these drunkards down with less one swoop of her Gunblade. But she didn't want to cause any trouble for the sake of her new job.

A job she wasn't sure how long she'd be keeping.

After a quick shower, she changed into her pajamas and tucked herself into bed. It had been a long day, and she'd need the extra rest for tomorrow.

_3:00 AM..._

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Lightning's eyes fluttered open. If her clock was right, then someone better have a good reason for waking her up at such a horrid hour. Then again, maybe it was time to go to work. She tossed the covers aside and got out of bed, running her fingers through her hair to make herself look a bit more presentable before answering the door.

She cracked the door open only a little ways.

Cloud was standing right outside her room.


	6. Ch 5: Making Plans

CHAPTER FIVE

Making Plans

* * *

><p>"Is it time for wok already?" Lightning asked, her voice heavy with fatigue.<p>

"No," Cloud whispered. "I just wanted to talk to you-I mean-" _Crap, _he thought. _Why did it come out like that?_

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Cloud didn't want to waste too much of her time. She'd want to get back to sleep pretty soon. "I mean, I had this idea… Mind if I come in?"

Without a word, Lightning opened the door wider for him. Once he had stepped inside, she closed the door. "Couldn't you have brought this up a little earlier in the evening?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "Tifa takes stock of our inventory, and she pulls all-nighters pretty much every night until two in the morning. And she's a light sleeper, so I had to be real quiet while I was walking down the hall."

Lightning was confused. "Then how were you able to sneak out of bed without waking her?" Normally, she kept her opinions to herself. But this question came out without much thought to the consequences.

"We don't share a bed," Cloud admitted. "I have a room of my own."

"Oh…" _Whatever makes you happy, I guess. _"So, what's your idea?"

"Well, now that we've hired you, the business isn't gonna bring in as much money like before. And there's gonna be a lot of assignments where we'll have to spend the night abroad… I was thinking that, since we seemed to get along well enough the other night in Kalm, that it might be cheaper if…" He swallowed hard. "… if we shared a hotel room while we're on assignments."

Lightning inhaled silently, but she was quick to compose herself again. "What does Tifa think of this idea?"

"She doesn't know about it," he said. "Actually, she'd hate it. We've been friends ever since we were kids, so I'm al too familiar with her jealous side. But I've gotta do what's best for Marlene and Denzel, and that includes saving as much money as possible."

It was as if Lightning had developed some kind of bitter taste in her mouth. As much as she hated what she was about to do, she had to help Cloud out in any way that she could-Not just for him, but for the kids. "I'll accept a pay cut, if need be."

"No," he insisted. "We promised you fifteen Gil an hour, and that's what you'll get."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Lightning wasn't about to argue any further. "Okay. Then, I'm up for your arrangement."

He sighed with relief. "Thanks… And I'll maintain all of your 'rules,' too."

She chuckled. "You better. In return, I won't let Tifa know we had this conversation."

This made Cloud smile.

Lightning tucked herself back into bed and listened as Cloud walked back down the hall to his room. _I was wrong,_ she thought to herself. _He's nothing like Snow…And he's got a better smile, too._

Her smile quickly fell from her face. _Snow…_ This constant feeling of unrequited love couldn't possibly be healthy. She would have force herself to accept the facts: She and Snow would never be together. But how was she going to get over this depression?

She fell back against her pillow, pondering these thoughts. Then, and idea came to her. The concept made her stomach jump with nerves, but she would have to do it. It was something she had never really done before in all her life.

She'd have to start dating.

For years, Lightning had kept herself busy taking care of Serah, and falling for Snow on top of it, so much so that she never bothered to think about dating until now. But in her mind, it was the only possible solution to her problem. If her heart was ever going to heal, she'd have to prove to herself that she could fall in love again.

**oOo**

Lightning awoke to the sight of a young girl with black hair looming right above her. "Uh, morning," she said.

Lighting took a deep breath and sat up. "Morning," she replied, smiling. "Are you Marlene?"

"Yeah. And you're Lightning, right?"

"Mm-hmm. But you can call me Light." This kid was adorable. No wonder Cloud and Tifa adopted her. Lightning wondered if the boy named Denzel looked just as cute, too.

"Tifa wanted me to come get you," Marlene said. "She wants you to join us for breakfast before you start working."

"Okay, tell her I'll be down in a bit."

Marlene smiled wide and nodded before skipping out of the room.

Lightning chuckled. Marlene reminded her of Serah when she was that age.

The breakfast party consisted of Cloud, Marlene, Denzel and Tifa. The table was loaded with plates of French toast, fried eggs and two large pitchers of orange juice. Everyone ate in silence, and after the kids had left for school, Tifa gave Lightning and Cloud their latest assignment sheets. "Big delivery in Wutai, guys," she explained. "The armory shop wants three Midgar Broadswords!"

Cloud's face was completely white. "I can't carry all that!"

"I know," Tifa replied. "That's why it's a good thing Lightning has a car. She can carry the merchandise in the backseat while you ride alongside her on your bike, in case there are any monsters around during the trip."

Lightning couldn't help but grin. "In other words, he guards _me?"_ she asked.

Tifa repressed the urge to laugh. "Precisely."

Cloud glanced at both of them, confused. "Did I miss something, here?"

Lightning leaned back in her chair and shook her head. "Not a thing," she replied with a sly smile.

"Nope. Nothing," Tifa added.

Then Lightning pushed herself up from the table. "Just let me pack a bag, and I'll be all set." She headed out of the kitchen and scuttled back upstairs to her apartment.


	7. Ch 6: Cloud's Bike

CHAPTER SIX

Cloud's Bike

* * *

><p>It was a struggle for Lightning to keep her eyes focused on the road. Reason being, she had never seen any other motorcycle look as good as Cloud's. He must've strived to keep the thing looking immaculate. The sunlight bounced off it's black reflective surface and into Lightning's foresight, meaning that it must've been waxed on a regular basis. She reached for the dashboard and grabbed her sunglasses. That seemed to help a bit.<p>

Every time she ran over a bump, she felt as though her heart had skipped a beat. She hoped that this rough ride wasn't too much for their merchandise to take. Every once in a while, she would glance into the rear view mirror and peek at the three large packages in the backseat. _Please don't let the blades chip or break,_ she said to herself over and over.

It was evening by the time they reached Wutai. Cloud parked his bike directly in front of the inn, and Lighting pulled up along side him. She rolled down her window and said, "You book the room, I'll deliver the stuff. And feel free to take the bed, seeing as I had it last time, okay?"

"Got it," Cloud replied before she drove off towards the armory shop.

After checking into their room, Cloud changed into his pajamas and laid on top of the sheets, not bothering to cover up with them. His eyelids were heavy from the long day, and he wasn't far away from sleep…

_oOo_

"_Aerith… This can't be real!… Aerith is gone… Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry… or get angry… What about us… What are WE supposed to do? What about my pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!"_

_And yet, he could still hear Aerith's voice telling him,_

"_I never blamed you. Not once. You came for me. That's all that matters."_

**oOo**

The night sky glistened with millions of stars, each one reflecting against the black surface of Cloud's bike.

Lightning had stopped herself from going right inside the inn and glanced at it. From there, she had actually been so bold as to walk over beside it. She delicately moved her hand along the front brim, gripping the left handle when she came to it. She felt the seat with her other hand. It was soft, comfortable, and still warm from when Cloud had sat on it.

Indeed, this thing was an absolute beauty on wheels.

"Go ahead."

She jerked her head up to the inn's second floor. Cloud was looking down at her, wearing nothing but a tank top and sweat pants. "Go on. Take a seat," he told her.

She immediately removed her hands from the bike. "No… I'll be right up," she replied before hurrying towards the inn's entrance.

Normally, if someone else were to touch his bike, Cloud would be after them with an all-out Omnislash at the ready. But not this time. He had always thought that his bike was like a uniform, tailor-made to fit just him an no on else. But it almost looked just as good with Lightning, even though she had only stood beside it; she didn't even sit on it, and yet.

Lightning entered the room moments later. "I'm sorry," was the first thing she said. "I shouldn't have touched your bike."

"It's alright. Really, it is." He moved away from the window, taking a few steps closer to her. "You like it?"

"Yeah. Actually, it's the best bike I've ever seen."

Cloud grinned. "Have you ever rode one before?"

"No."

He cocked his head. "Want a ride sometime?"

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Of course," he said. "I don't make jokes when it comes to my bike, trust me. How about tomorrow?"

She blinked. "Are you sure we'll have time?" she asked. "Shouldn't we be heading back to Midgar in the morning?"

"I don't think a couple extra hours will make that much of a difference… Unless you'd prefer another time."

She shook her head. "No, no… Tomorrow's fine."


	8. Ch 7: The Bike Ride

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Bike Ride

* * *

><p>Lightning was on Cloud Nine… literally.<p>

The adrenalin rush was amazing, even though she wasn't the one driving. The sound of the roaring engine filled her ears as she sat on the back with her hands wrapped around Cloud's waist. A few minutes later when he brought the bike to a stop on top of a grassy hill, Lightning still felt overwhelmed.

He popped the kick-stand after she had dismounted, then got off himself. "Well?" he asked.

Lightning couldn't repress her excitement. "That was awesome!" She pointed at the bike and asked, "Can I trade you my car for that thing?"

"Nope. Sorry," he replied with a laugh.

She directed her gaze back onto the bike. "How much did it cost?"

Cloud scratched the back of his head. "Let's see… I had it custom made, so about fifteen-thousand Gil."

Lightning's jaw dropped. "Where did you get _that_ much money!"

"It was a gift from the people of Midgar…" His eyes clouded with unwanted memories. "… a reward for stopping Meteor."

Lightning bit her lower lip. She needed to change the subject quick. "How much would a regular bike cost without having it customized?"

"Five-thousand Gil," he replied. "As much as a Balamb Garden engagement ring."

This was a surprising statement, but Lightning was quick to pick up on the double-meaning. "You're gonna propose to Tifa, I take it?"

He nodded.

"Congratulations." She waited for him to thank her, but he didn't. Her joyous expression softened into a more sober look now. "You don't really wanna marry her, do you?"

"How could you tell?"

"Lucky guess."

Without thinking, Cloud turned his back to her and looked out at the horizon: the beautiful picture of a blue sky above a grassy plane. "She's been there for me my whole life," he said, sounding more like he was talking to himself. "Through my failures, my victories-even Meteor itself. I've put her through so much crap, and yet she's still been there. That's how I know she loves me… I owe it to her."

He was caught off guard when Lightning stomped in front of him with a scowl on her beautiful face.

"Marriage is not something that should be 'owed' to anyone," she stated firmly as she glared into his eyes. "If you really love a person, if you'd put their needs before your own, that's when you know you're ready for marriage."

"Tifa's done that, believe me."

"Okay. But have you done the same for her?"

This prompted even more memories that Cloud would've rather forgotten. When he was a child, he made the decision to join SOLDIER without even considering how Tifa might feel about it. After his first mission with AVALANCHE, he almost walked out on her, almost broke their life-long promise that she had to remind him of that night in her old bar. And, of course, there came a point where he even favored Aerith more than Tifa.

At least, until the day she died.

"No… I guess I haven't," he admitted.

Lightning sighed and held up her hands in defense, stepping back.. "Look, I'm not saying that you shouldn't marry her. If that's what you wanna, then do it… I'm sorry if I was outa line just now."

He shook his head. "You weren't. In fact, I'm glad you spoke up about it."

"I'm not," Lightning replied. "I feel like a home wrecker now."

"You're not," he insisted. "Tifa doesn't even know I was thinking about marriage, so there won't be any problems when we get back-just so long as she never finds about this conversation, okay?"

"Okay… Hey, I've got a question."

"What?"

She crossed her arms and looked down, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. "Well, it's kind of a personal one."

This intrigued him even more. "Go on."

She took a deep breath and looked up again, her eyes closed due to embarrassment. "Do you know any single guys?"

Out of all the questions in the world, Cloud wasn't expecting this one. "Huh?"

"I ended my last relationship before I moved to Midgar… No, that's not true-It's hard to explain. Anyway, I think I'm ready to get into the dating field. So, I was wondering if you knew anyone who might be available."

Cloud searched the far corners of his mind. And the more men he thought of, the wider he grinned. _Barret. Cid. Vincent. Reno. Rude…_ The idea of Lightning being matching up with any of these guys was so hilarious that he threw his head back and laughed hard.

"What's so funny?" she asked, bewildered.

"Yes, I know a few single guys," he replied through his laughter. "And they wouldn't be good for you. Not one bit!"

She raised an eyebrow. "How would you know?"

"Trust me. I know these guys all _too_ well!"

She smiled. "If you say so."

When he had calmed down a bit, Cloud glanced over his shoulder at his bike. Then he looked back at Lighting and asked, "You wanna drive this time?"

Her entire face lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

**oOo**

"Thanks for letting me drive, Cloud," Lightning told him as he dismounted.

"Welcome," he replied.

"I'm just gonna go get my stuff and pack the car. Then we can get outa here, okay?" She headed for the entrance.

Cloud watched her as she went… And once again, he noticed that unmistakable swagger in her feminine walk.

Honestly, what was it about this woman that made her so fascinating? It could've been a number of a reasons: One - she was an excellent fighter. Two - she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, when the occasion called for it. Three - she loved motorcycles.

And yet, he still couldn't figure out the reason for his growing attraction to her! She wasn't exactly Tifa, and she certainly wasn't anything like Aerith!

Whatever the reason, he wanted to find out. Badly.

"Hey, Lightning?"

She paused with her hand on the door handle. "Yeah?"

"About our conversation this earlier-"

"I know, I know. Tifa doesn't find out about it."

"No, not exactly-Although, you don't know how much I'd appreciate it if we kept it that way." He walked up the cement stairs to stand beside her. "It's about the dating thing. I actually think I might know someone you might like, after all."

She raised both eyebrows. "Oh? And who might this be?"

He took her hand off the doorknob and gently held it in his own. "Me."


	9. Ch 8: Honesty

CHAPTER EIGHT

Honesty

* * *

><p>Cloud sat wordlessly on the couch and watched Lightning as she continued to pack her things. She hadn't said a word since he proposed that they get together as a couple, and he was getting nervous. "Hey, if you're not interested in dating <em>me,<em> it's really no big deal," he pointed out.

"That's not it," she replied flatly, not looking at him.

"Then, what is it?" he persisted. "I'd like to know why… You know, for future reference, maybe?"

After closing and locking her suitcase, she turned around to face him. "I can't say."

He stood up and took a few steps forward. "Yes, you can," he insisted with a firm scowl. "I don't like the idea of having secrets kept from me. What's your reason for not wanting to date me?" Even he had to admit that his reaction was a bit off the bean. Why was he letting this woman get to him so badly?

Lightning's face flushed as he stepped forward, stopping directly in front of her; he was a bit _too_ close for comfort now. And the look on his face was so intimidating… This was the first time any man had ever frightened her this much.

She began to wonder if maybe Tifa had been right. Maybe Cloud _was_ the type of guy one needed to keep an eye on… Or watch out for, in her case.

In one swift movement, she pulled her Gunblade from its holster and flipped it open. She had no idea what his intentions were, but she wouldn't attack him unless he acted first. Until then, she planned on a self-defense moves only.

But not even her quick wit was enough to outsmart him.

He grabbed her wrist-the hand that was gripping the Gunblade. "Don't even think about it," he said. "I know all those moves, too, you know."

She tried to yank her arm away, but he wouldn't let go. "Hands off!"

Before he could say another word, she threw herself forward against his chest, obviously hoping to knock him to the floor so that she could get away. But he was too strong for her to overpower.

He staggered a bit, but regained his balance. "Lightning, calm down!"

But Lightning was too lost in her painful memories to hear him clearly. The last guy she had an argument with was Snow. In those last few moments before he left, why couldn't she have told him how much she loved him? Why couldn't she go back in time and change what she'd said?"

"_Lightning, stop it!"_

"_No!" she cried. "You idiot! Haven't you realized by now that I loved you first!"_

Hold it… did those words just come flying out of her mouth by mistake?

Suddenly, her eyes and mouth were wide open, and she drew in a breath. She was so taken aback with herself that she even dropped her Gunblade on the floor.

Cloud stood there, still holding her wrists. What she just said made his heart pound. "What?"

At last, he harsh exterior finally began to crumble. Her face scrunched up as tears filled her lovely blue eyes.

He let go of her wrists, and her hands quickly flew up to cover her face as she sobbed. By now, Cloud's face was masked with concern. "I'm so sorry, Lightning. Are you okay?"

"Yes." Lightning stared at him, in awe at herself. "And, I'm sorry, too. I was thinking of someone else when I said that."

"Who?" he asked. He put an arm around her and led her back over to the couch.

She wiped her eyes and composed herself again. "Oh, this is just sick." She hung her head low and rubbed her forehead. "I've never broken down like that in my life-ever."

"It's okay," Cloud said. "You wanna tell me who this 'someone else' is?"

"It's a long story."

"We've got time," he reassured her.

**oOo**

"… Needless to say, I didn't handle it well when Serah told me they were engaged. So after a huge fight, I decided to take a little vacation. I drove all night until I ended up in Kalm. I was so depressed, I decided to go shopping online. That's when I found your website."

"Lucky me." And he wasn't kidding. For the first time, Lightning was actually opening up to him, almost as much as he had to her. "You must've felt really betrayed."

"I did!" she exclaimed. "I mean, I've taken care of that girl for most of her life. I've made so many sacrifices for her. And when I finally meet someone I think could be just for me, I have to give him up too in order to make her happy… And now, I have an even bigger problem." She reached into her pocket and took out her cell phone. "They won't stop calling me!"

"Well, you did kinda run away on them," he pointed out. "I'd do the same thing, if I were them."

"I know that. But I'm not ready to talk to them yet… I'm not even ready to go back home."

"I know the feeling." He gently brushed a rogue trace of hair away from her face, but didn't pull his hand away afterwards. Instead, he cupped her cheek and stared directly into her blue eyes. "I really am sorry about earlier," he told her. "It's jus that, I've had so many secrets kept from me in the past… It was like a self-defense mechanism. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She breathed a heavy sigh as she took his hand and moved it to her lap, lacing her fingers with his, not giving the gesture much thought. "You hate secrets… Me, too." Then she swallowed hard. "Tifa told me to keep you safe from any women who might preoccupy you from your job."

Cloud looked shocked. "What!"

"Don't blame her," Lightning said. "You even said yourself that women flirt with you everywhere you go."

He smiled. "Tifa," he chuckled. "There she goes again, trying to protect me when I should be the one protecting her."

"Cloud, you have done more for her than you know," Lightning pointed out. "Think about where she'd be with Marlene and Denzel if she didn't have you. You've protected her financially, emotionally… And, I'm guessing, during the Meteor incident as well?"

"But why am I not in love with her?" he asked, mainly to himself.

"You don't have to be. It's not a requirement. The most important thing is that you remain honest with yourself and your feelings." She smiled. "Speaking of which, this kind of honesty is a good way for us to start our relationship, don't you think?"

He met her gaze and smiled wider. "You mean, we're really gonna go through with it?"

"Yes," she replied. "But, I don't want us to go _too_ far with this yet, okay? My rules for the hotel rooms still stand."

He was more than understanding. "Mind if I add one more rule to the list?"

"Sure."

"We can't, can't, CAN'T tell Tifa about us."

_Hmm… "Us."_ Lightning liked the sound of that a little too much. "Agreed."


	10. Ch 9: Dinner At Elmyra's

CHAPTER NINE

Dinner At Elmyra's

* * *

><p><em>What to eat, what to eat?<em> Lightning wondered as she stared up at the ceiling from her bed. Although Tifa was kind enough to offer her a place at their supper table, Lightning hated the thought of taking their food. That, and it would've been awkward if Cloud had been ended up being the one sitting across from her; she wasn't sure if they'd be able to keep straight faces. The idea of this, however, made her grin. Although she wasn't completely over Snow yet, Cloud had taken the place of her new boyfriend… New _secret_ boyfriend, that is. Lightning was more than aware that if Tifa ever found out, she would probably be fired and kicked out onto the street.

When she couldn't take the hollow feeling in her stomach any longer, Lightning got up from the bed and peeked out her window. It was early yet, so the street was clear of drunkards. At least, for the moment. Now would be the perfect time to check out that restaurant that Tifa had mentioned a few days ago.

Lightning drove slowly, about fifteen miles an hour, seeing as the streets were primarily taken up with pedestrians. As she passed the movie theater, she saw a middle-aged woman standing in the square with a wheel barrel full of flowers. The sign read that they were only a Gil each, with the exception of a few mor expensive breeds that were available.

Lightning immediately recognized one particular plant: The Serahnor Blossom-the flower which her sister had been named for.

She parked along the sidewalk and got out of the car. "How much are the Serahnor Blossoms selling for?"

"Oh, you recognize the breed!" said the woman, sounding more than impressed. "Are you a flouriest, by any chance?"

"No, but my mom used to love those flowers. We had them all over our house… I'd like to buy one plant, please."

The woman grabbed her small trowel and carefully dug one of the blossoms out of a large pot, then replanted it in a smaller one. "Here you go. That'll be fifteen Gil."

As Lightning handed her the money, her stomach growled again-this time, quite loudly. Embarrassed, she couldn't help but laugh at herself. "Sorry."

"That's alright," the woman replied. "I'm not sure any of us have too much control over our stomachs anyway.

Lightning chuckled. "I was just gonna go eat at the Wall Market Bar. I just moved here, so I've never tasted their food before."

"Oh, you don't want anything they've got!" the woman exclaimed. "All their food is packed with salt and oil. Most unhealthy!"

"Oh… Do you know of anywhere else I can get something to eat?"

"Of course. A great place, in fact!"

"Mind showing me where?"

"Only if you don't mind driving me. It's on my way home, you see." The woman winked.

Lightning agreed, and opened the trunk of her car. Together, they lifted the wheel barrel and placed it inside before buckling themselves into the front seats. Lightning drove even slower this time, taking great care so that the flowers in the back wouldn't fall out.

**oOo**

The woman directed her to a two story house in sector five. The roof was completely lined with red shingles, and in the back of the house was a large green garden. There were giant holes in the metal plate above the sector that allowed sunlight to beam down onto the grounds. "How lovely," Lightning commented breathlessly.

"Thank you," the woman replied. "I try my best to keep my home looking nice. Oh! And my name is Elmyra, by the way."

Inside the house, the table was centered in the middle of the living room with two wooden seats and a white table cloth. To the left, there was shelving that contained pictures, a few decorative knick-knacks and books. The cooking area was over to the right in a separate room.

Elmyra headed for the kitchen the moment they walked in. "Now, what are you hungry for, dear?" she asked.

Lightning took a seat at the table. "Something that's not too complicated or expensive to make. I don't wanna inconvenience you."

"You're not, dear-Not in the least! What would you like?"

"Um… Bacon and eggs?"

"Coming right up!"

Moments later, Elmyra came back out with a plate full of Lightning's requested meal, along with a glass of milk. Lightning could tell from the first bit that this woman had to have worked in a restaurant in the past; everything was delicious!

Elmyra sat down in the second seat and watched her eat. "So, Lightning," she began. "I don't recall ever seeing you around here before. Mind if I ask where you're from?"

"Bodhum, Cocoon," she replied with a full mouth.

Elmyra raised both eyebrows. "That far away? What brings you to Midgar?"

"Life." Her flat sounding reply unintentionally made Elmyra laugh. Lightning took a break from eating and asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

Elmyra nodded.

"What are you doing, selling flowers on the side of the road like that? This isn't exactly the safest place for a roadside business."

Elmyra shrugged. "My daughter used to do it for me," she explained. "And after she died, I carried on with the business. I figured that is she could brave those kinds of dangers, then so could I."

"I'm sorry to hear that… About your daughter's death, I mean."

"It's alright. She died more than three years ago."

On that note, Lightning dropped the subject and resumed eating.

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door, prompting Elmyra to stand up from the table. "I better get that. I forgot that I was expecting company… Go on. Keep eating."

Lightning tensed up as she answered the door; a usual reflex for a Guardian Corpse soldier.

Elmyra opened the door wider for the large, muscular guy to come in. "Hello, Barret," she said happily. "Thank you again for offering to help till my soil this year."

"No problem, ma'am" he replied, his voice low and a bit raspy. Then his eyes fell onto Lightning. "Oh, hey! You're that new girl workin' at Strife's, aren't ya?"

Lightning swallowed her last bite of egg. "Yeah. And you're Barret. I remember you." She took note of his prosthetic gunarm. "Nice seeing you again, strong-man."

He made a fist and pretended to flex his metallic arm muscles. "Ya got that right," he said proudly.

Elmyra turned to Lightning again, looking surprised. "You're working for Cloud?"

"You know him, too?" Lightning asked in response. It seemed like Cloud had friends pretty much… everywhere!

Elmyra placed a hand against her chest. "Why, he was one of my daughter's best friends!" she exclaimed. "But I rarely ever see him anymore. Tell him that I said hello, okay?"

"Got it," Lighting promised.

**oOo**

After he was sure that Tifa was sleeping, Cloud tip-toed out of his room and headed down the hall to lightly tap his fist on Lightning's door. She probably wouldn't be awake at this hour, but he didn't care. He hadn't seen her all day, and he found himself missing her company.

Surprisingly, Lightning was still in her day clothes when she answered to him. "Hey," she whispered as she stepped aside to let him in.

"What're you still doing up?" Cloud asked as she closed the door.

Lightning crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Clearing out my cell phone," she groaned. "Serah and Snow have been calling me every five minutes. It's getting annoying."

He cocked his head. "How about picking up the phone for once? Or returning a call, at least?"

She chuckled. "You're one to talk. You never return your phone calls."

"Who told you that?"

"Barret. He thought I should know, since we're be working together and all."

Cloud made a mental note to kick Barret's behind for this later. "You hung out with Barret today?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Not really," she replied. "I met him at Elmyra's house-Which reminds me, she says hi to you." Lightning watched as Cloud's face turned completely white. "What? What's wrong?"

"Elmyra?" he repeated. "As in, Elmyra Gainsburrough?"


	11. Ch 10: First Fight

CHAPTER TEN

First Fight

* * *

><p>"I thought you had gone to the Wall Market for dinner."<p>

"I was, but Elmyra needed help getting her wheel barrel home."

"Why couldn't you have just left after dropping her off?"

"Because she invited me in. It would've been rude of me to decline. Besides, she told me the food at Wall Market was bad, anyway."

With a heavy sigh, Cloud threw his head back and closed his eyes. He couldn't allow himself to get _too_ mad at her. After all, she had no idea about his past history with Elmyra's late daughter.

Lightning tilted her head. "Are we done now here?" she asked flatly.

He anxiously ran his fingers through his feathery blonde hair, keeping his eyes closed as he straightened his neck. "Can you please just eat with us from now on?" There. Now, that wasn't so much to ask, was it?

"No."

His eyelids flew open. "Why not?"

"Because if I wanna go out to eat-whether it be at the Wall Market or Elmyra's-I'm gonna go out, got it?"

Cloud felt his blood pressure rising. But rather than go off on a tangent that would probably wake the whole house, he took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and said in a calm, yet firm manner, "Lightning, you have no idea what kind of lines you'd be crossing if you kept on visiting Elmyra."

On that note, she approached him, her face only inches away from his. "And _you_ have no idea what lines you'll be crossing if you try to control me," she whispered back.

Cloud stood his ground, matching her expression. Even though she was mad, he still couldn't bring himself to look away from the breathtaking beauty of her eyes. Her hair. Her face. Each of these beautiful features were tense with anger, coupled with her lips firmly pressed together in a frown…

That's when her cell phone rang.

Lightning tore her gaze away from his and rushed over to the nightstand. He shoulders drooped when she saw the called I.D. "Why won't these two quite calling me?" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. "Haven't they gotten the message already!"

"How could they?" Cloud asked sarcastically. "You won't even call them back, remember?"

She looked over her shoulder and glared at him. "Why are you still here?" she snapped.

He shrugged. "Why shouldn't I be? You may be living in it, but I still own the place."

"Oh, so that's how things between you and I are gonna be, huh? In that case…"

Cloud closed his eyes again. _Here comes the break-up monologue._

"… I think we need some time apart."

Wow. That was a surprise. "Huh?"

"I'll be making the next delivery job alone. By myself. That way, you can stay home and rest longer-not to mention think about what you _really_ want out of a relationship, okay?"

Cloud exhaled. "Fine." Then he stomped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Lightning turned her cell phone off and headed for the dresser to get her pajamas. "Men," she scoffed.


	12. Ch 11: Lightning's Accident

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lightning's Accident

* * *

><p>Cloud was lying on the couch, feeling absolutely spurned. <em>Hmph… Where does she get off?<em> he thought. Thank goodness the kids were playing on the carpeted floor behind him, or else he probably would've made known his severe disgust toward Lightning right now. At the moment, she was away making a delivery to Cosmo Canyon by herself; she was gone before Cloud even woke up that morning.

That was three days ago. Long trip.

In the time she had been gone, Cloud began to wonder if this whole "secret girlfriend" thing had been a mistake. Thank goodness he realized this now, before their relationship had the chance to go _too_ far. And yet, given all the trials he had faced in his lifetime-trials that might've altered a normal person's psyche for the rest of their lives-it was a relief to know that he wasn't totally lost within his own guilt. For a brief moment, he was able to come out of himself in order to recognize the beauty of a women like her. He almost wanted to thank her for that.

With an exhale, he was calm and his mind was settled. He would tell her that their affair was over when she got back.

He was startled when the phone rang, and Tifa answered it. "Hello, Strife's Deliver Service. You name it, we deliver… May I ask who's calling? Oh, no. Is she alright?"

On that note, Cloud sat up and peered into the office. Tifa's face was overtaken with concern.

"Is she stable, though?… Oh, thank goodness… Yes, I'll send someone right away to pick her up right away. Thanks for calling us." After hanging up, she turned to face Cloud with a sober look on her face. "Lightning was in a car accident."

Cloud silently inhaled. "How bad?"

"Bad enough to completely total the front of her car. She was trying to drive at night, and ran into a huge tree. The medics at Cosmo Canyon have her stable in their medical center, but she was drifting in and out of consciousness for the first twenty-four hours. They think she's stable enough to come back, though."

"Any physical injuries?" Cloud asked. Gaia forbid that Lightning should have and cuts or bruises on her lovely face.

Marlene and Denzel came around from behind the couch. "Is Lightning gonna be alright?" Marlene asked.

"Yes, she'll be fine," Tifa replied, smiling at them. "She only hit her head on the steering wheel. They think she might've had a concussion, but other than that, no injuries."

Cloud immediately stood up and marched toward the front door, grabbing his sunglasses from the desk. "I'll be back in a few days. Keep all deliveries on hold until then." Then he got on his bike and revved the engine.

As he took off down the road at a speed that exceeded the legal limit, Cloud couldn't believe how much of an eye opener the last few moments had been. First, he was going to dump this women because she was too high-strong. Then, his emotions were jarred by the idea of almost loosing her forever! If he had to loose one more woman in his life that he cared about, it wasn't going to be Lightning.

No, not this women… Not his girl.


	13. Ch 12: I Love You

CHAPTER TWELVE

"I Love You"

* * *

><p>Cloud took a seat on the bed beside Lightning's. Her forehead was bandaged up, and she was wearing a medical gown instead of her Guardian Corps uniform. Other than that, she looked just fine. "Hey," he greeted her with a smile.<p>

"Hey," she repeated, her arms crossed. "You know what they did with my clothes? This gown is driving me crazy!"

Cloud tilted his head toward a nearby closet. "They're in there."

She pulled the covers off and carefully stood up. "I'll get changed. Then we can leave." After she had retrieved her clothes and locked herself in the bathroom, Cloud leaned up against the wall beside the door.

"You should've been driving at night," he said sternly.

"I know," she replied from inside. "My mistake."

"Yeah-_Big_ mistake, Lightning. You were probably blind as a bat out there!"

"Actually, no," she confessed. "I work night shifts with the Guardian Corps all the time. I can see in the dark without a problem."

Cloud scowled, and his lips parted. "Then what was the reason for this accident?" When he didn't get a reply right away, he knocked on the door. What if she had passed out, or something? "Lightning? Are you okay in there?" he asked with urgency in his voice.

"I'm fine," she said at last. "It's just that… Serah was calling me at that time, and I was gonna to answer the phone for once. I figured that enough time had gone by for us to-"

"YOU WHAT!" He heard her gasp, but she was quick to compose herself, as always.

"Yes, I know. It was stupid," she said.

"Very stupid!" he yelled. "You should never, _ever_, mess with a cell phone while you're driving! I can't tell you how many times I've lectured Marlene and Denzel on that very issue. Do I have to lecture you, a grown woman, too!"

"No… I've learned my lesson, okay? Now calm down, or else I won't come out of this bathroom."

"Ah-" Cloud stopped himself before yelling again. Instead, he crossed his arms and slammed his back up against the wall.

**_oOo_**

_The ride was bumpy, but Cloud didn't expect anything else, given the fact that he was riding a motorcycle down a flight of stairs._

_Once he reached the next floor down, he made a swift left turn and rode into the Shinra building's display room. He put the breaks on and watched the women climb into the baby-blue truck: Lightning took the driver's seat, Aerith the passenger's side, and his mother climbed onto the back._

_Lightning drove the truck off its platform and through the glass display case, then followed Cloud up another flight of stairs to a glass window. The view was that of the open highway below._

_Cloud briefly glanced over his shoulder at them, then revved the bike's engine. He was the first to crash through the window, and the truck followed. Both vehicles landed safely on the highway and took off at top speed._

_They rode side by side, and every once in a while, Cloud would glance over to make sure the women were alright. His mother looked frightened, Aerith's expression was unreadable, and Lightning was intently focused on the road ahead._

_That is, until her cell phone flashed on the dash board._

_Lightning grabbed the phone, pressed the talk button and put it to her ear. "Serah?"_

_Cloud's eyes widened with horror. "Lightning! What are you-"_

_But it was too late._

_Lightning was so distracted by her phone call that she didn't even see the next turn. The truck crashed head first into a cement wall, bursting into flames upon impact._

**oOo**

"Wake up, already!"

Cloud sprang upright, finding himself in the midst of a cold sweat. He had been prone to having nightmares for the last three years, but this one was a first. Not surprising, though, given the circumstances that had recently transpired. Thank goodness Lightning was there to shake him awake.

"Are you okay?" She had moved from the bed to kneel beside the hotel room couch, looking worried.

Cloud met her beautiful blue-eyes gaze. The emotional impact the dream had left him with was fresh in his mind. Having permanently lost both his mother and Aerith was bad enough. But the idea of loosing Lightning-or anyone else he cared about, for that matter… Before he could stop himself, he was sobbing so much that tears was streaming down his face.

Lightning took a seat next to him and put an arm around his shoulder, hoping to comfort him. That's when he surprised her by immediately linking his arms around her waist, crying in a way that she had never seen any man cry before.

_This is unreal,_ she thought. After all, he was Cloud Strife. The man who stopped Meteor. A hero! Heroes didn't cry like this… At least, that's what Lightning always thought until now. "Hey, it's alright," she whispered as she patted him on the back. "It was just a nightmare. Everything's okay now."

At last, Cloud looked up at her, his face pale and ashen with tears. "Lightning," he pleaded. "please don't ever be so stupid as to use your cell phone on the road again."

The instant pang of guilt caused her expression to fall into sadness. "I won't."

"Promise me!"

"I promise, Cloud."

He relaxed a little. "Good… And promise me that you'll call Serah and Snow."

With a sigh, her shoulders drooped. "Cloud, can we not talk about-"

"You don't have to call them now. Just call them… Whenever!"

She gave him an odd look. "Why are you so eager for me to call them? It's not like it's your problem." This probably wasn't the greatest time to ask such a question, given the state of mind he was currently in. But Lightning was never one to mince words, whether the timing was right or not.

"Because they love you," he told her. "Probably way more than I do."

Lightning froze, silently catching her breath. "Wait… What did you just say?"

"You heard me… And I do." He sat up and squared his shoulders before looking her straight in the eyes and saying, "I love you, Lightning."


	14. Ch 13: Tifa's Secret

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tifa's Secret

* * *

><p>Lightning sat at the coffee table eating breakfast. Cloud was on the couch, and she kept her eyes glued to him the entire time he slept. She was still taken aback by what he had said the previous night:<p>

"_I love you, Lightning."_

Those words kept playing over and over in her mind-words that she had hoped to hear from Snow… Oddly enough, however, she didn't think much of them, coming from Cloud. The man had woken up in a frantic state, and that nightmare probably left him a little delirious. He might not even remember what he'd said when he finally woke up!

Yet, the fact still remained that he said it. And now, Lightning's feelings were compromised. Yes, she was attracted to Cloud, but to her, she figured that this fling they were having would eventually taper off-not that it had gone anyplace to special at the moment.

All that aside, an important question needed to be answered: Did she really want to put that much of her own heart into this relationship?

Her answer came with an even better question: Why not?

The last guy she gave her heart to (even though he wasn't aware of that fact) left her feeling crushed, so much so that she actually ran away from home to escape the stress. But Cloud might actually be willing to return those types of feelings-should she have any for him in the first place.

Okay, so she had proved to herself that she could be with someone other than Snow. But did that mean she had actually learned to love again?

Cloud awoke from his sleep and sat up, stretching his arms up above his head with a yawn.

"Morning," Lightning greeted.

He turned to her and smiled. "Morning." Then he took his seat at the coffee table.

"Hope you don't mind toast," she commented.

He scratched the back of his head. "I'm not all that hungry," he admitted.

She shrugged. "Fine by me." At the same time she reached for her second piece of toast, Cloud reached took her hand from across the table. Surprised, she lifted her gaze from all the breakfast plates and wordlessly faced him.

He affectionately rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. "Lightning," He kept his voice low and calm. "About last night…"

She swallowed hard. "You remember that?"

He nodded.

"It's okay," she said with a shrug. "You were upset, and you probably didn't realize what you were saying… I mean, it hasn't been that long since we first met-"

"But I meant it."

She suddenly froze with her a piece of toast in hand, staring at him. "Are you _sure?_" she asked.

"More sure than I've ever been in my whole life," he replied confidently. "Besides, I think I know you pretty well, actually: You're a great fighter. You're a loving sister. And you know what it's like to have your heart broken-To feel betrayed, even."

She cringed. "Don't remind me." But Lightning couldn't deny the fact that the attraction between them had been instant from the start. However, she hadn't expected Cloud to fall head first in love _this_ fast-especially when she wasn't sure of her own feelings yet!

"But those are things we have in common, Lightning… Besides the loving sister thing, I mean." This made her laugh, but he remained serious. "For instance, _my_ heart's been torn apart in ways I can't even begin to describe in words."

Lightning politely pulled her hand away, folding her arms and crossing her legs as she leaned back in her chair. "Try me," she challenged him.

**oOo**

Their conversation had moved from the coffee table to the couch. Cloud sat with his arm around Lightning's shoulder while she kept her hands rested on her lap. Hearing his life story had left her wide-eyed and breathless, so much so that she didn't know what to say. "Oh, man," she sighed. "No wonder you got angry when I went to Elmyra's house."

"I'd rather forget all about that," he said.

"Cloud, seriously, if I had known that was Aerith's mom-"

He interrupted her by planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted… I was stupid."

Lightning's face flushed. "It's okay, I guess-Just don't do it again. Like I said, I won't be controlled, Cloud."

"I understand."

What now, she wondered? Maybe kissing him back would be a nice idea. She slowly leaned forward toward his cheek. He had already closed his eyes, ready to accept her forgiving gesture.

_Oh, yeah. Let's just kiss and make up, honey. _The whole concept was far too cliché.

Her lips had only made it half way there when hesitation caught her off guard. "Ugh…"

Cloud opened his eyes and found her staring down at her lap with a hand anxiously wrung through her pink hair. "Are you alright, Lightning? Should we go back to the doctor?"

"No," she replied. "I'm just bad at this girlfriend thing, that's all. I can't even bring myself to kiss you! Maybe it's a good thing I never ended up with Snow." She bit her lower lip. That last statement came flying out of nowhere. Had she just put her foot in her mouth by mistake?

But Cloud didn't seem to be bothered. "I think it was a good thing," he said. "And you're not a bad girlfriend. You just need to take your time."

During her time with the Guardian Corpse, Lightning had learned how to tell a lie from the truth. And right now, as she looked into Cloud's blue eyes, she could see that he was truly willing to be patient with her. "You amaze me, Cloud Strife," she told him with a smile. "In that case, I want a vacation."

"Fine," he replied without arguing. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Palampolum. I have friends there… But I think it would be better if I went by myself."

Cloud couldn't help but feel disappointed. He'd hoped that she'd want to go somewhere with him, like the Gold Saucer or Nautalis. But obviously, her heart still needed time to heal. That, and she wasn't ready to enjoy the fun of an amusement park; she recently survived a car crash, for Gaia's sake! "Well, it's a long way from here to Palampolum, and there aren't any trains… Would you mind taking a Chocobo carriage instead?"

"Not at all," she replied.

"Okay, then. I'll explain all this to Tifa, and I'll even pay for your ticket."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You don't have to do that."

"I know. But I want to."

She sighed, laughing a little. "Thanks, Cloud… And you know what?"

"Wha-" He was cut off when her lips suddenly pressed against his mouth. His eyes were half-closed, as he was ready to enjoy it, but she ended the caste-kiss quicker than he had imagined.

"Give me a little time," she said. "and I just may learn to love you, too."

He smiled happily. "I can live with that."

**oOo**

It was funny how three days ago before Lightning left for her vacation, things seemed to be so perfect in Cloud's life. But during that time, he was so caught up in his own world that he forgot to fill the gas tank in his bike. He hadn't realized this until the thing came to an abrupt stop right in front of Midgar's main gate, and from there, he had to push it the rest of the way home.

After making sure the kick-stand was stable, Cloud went inside to take a much needed rest. The kids were still in school, so he could probably catch a few winks before they got home. As he marched upstairs, however, he heard voices coming from Tifa's room. It sounded like she was giggling-more so than usual. He approached her bedroom and peeked through the small notch in the upper-right section of the wooden door.

Barret was holding her in his arms, and was kissing her!

"Barret," she spoke between each kiss. "We've gotta cut this out. The kids are gonna be home soon."

"They won't be home for an hour yet," he pointed out, not ceasing the series of kisses he was leaving on her face.

That's when the bedroom door flew open, and the two immediately pushed away from each other. They had been so frightened by Cloud's abrupt entry that it was if they had seen a ghost.

"What's going on here!" Cloud hollered.


	15. Ch 14: An Almost Night In Palampolum

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

An Almost-Night In Palampolum

* * *

><p>Hope looked hilariously bug-eyed upon answering the door to his home's latest visitor. "Light!"<p>

"Hey, Hope. What's up?"

He stepped outside and closed the door behind, glaring at her. Obviously, he wasn't all _that_ happy to see her. "Where have you been!" he exclaimed in a hushed voice so that no one else on the block would hear.

"Away," she replied simply.

His jaw dropped. "'Away!'" he repeated. "Do you realize how worried we've all been since you just DISSAPEARED!"

"My cell phone inbox clues me in from time to time, so yeah."

His expression suddenly went blank, mostly from shock. "And you didn't call us back!"

Lightning held up her, silencing him. "I had my reasons for leaving, Hope. And I'm sorry I didn't call you…" _Yep, just you. No one else._ "…But I don't wanna talk about that. I dropped by because I wanted to have a nice visit with you."

Hope leaned against the side of his house, taking deep breaths. Lightning allowed him the time he needed to calm down. "Fine," he said at last. "We'll visit."

She joined him by the wall and sat down on the ground. "So… What have you been up to lately?"

"Well," he began, sitting down beside her. "my parents are planning a vacation to Nautalis this summer."

"Cool."

"And I aced my final exams, so it looks like I won't be held back another year after all."

"Awesome!"

"Oh, and I was the ring bearer at the wedding."

Lightning was stone-faced. "What wedding?" she asked, staring ahead as though she were lost in space.

"Serah and Snow eloped. You would've known that if you had returned their calls-But you don't wanna talk about that, so we'll discuss something else."

"They… eloped?"

"That's right," Hope confirmed. "You made it clear that you weren't coming to the wedding, and they weren't about to wait for you." Then his tone grew softer, more sympathetic now. "You had us all worried, Lightning. I mean, you just up and disappeared out of nowhere like…"

But his words were falling on deaf ears.

Lightning was lost in the fog of her own thoughts, mostly consisting of images of what she would find-or wouldn't find-when she went home: Serah's belongings were probably completely cleaned out. Lightning couldn't imagine what her room must look like empty. Now that everything in it was gone.

Gone… Serah was gone… And so was Lightning's chance to ever be with Snow.

The reality of the situation seemed to hit her like a tone of bricks. For the first time in months, she was starting to feel sad again. She hated this feeling. Yet, something was keeping her from completely sinking into total depression, like before; keeping her spirits up with a new sense of hope for herself… And she knew exactly what it was.

A certain blonde, blue eyed man from Midgar. A man who had captured more than just her interest. More like her heart.

"Anyway, how long will you be in town?"

Hope's question brought her back to reality. "Um, not long," she replied absently.

Hope could tell that she was regretting her actions now. "It's not too late, Light," he reassured her. "You can still call them. Serah misses you a whole lot, and Snow really wants your blessing."

"He does?"

"Yeah! If he didn't, then he and Serah wouldn't be calling your cell phone pretty much every day… Would you mind if I let them know you stopped by?"

With a sigh, Lightning nodded. "Go ahead and tell them," she replied. "And while you're at it, let them know I'm coming home."

Hope's expression brightened. "When?"

"I don't know. I have some business to sort out first… Just tell them that for me, okay?" With that, she stood up and flashed him a smile. "Thanks for the visit, Hope. I'll see you later."

He smiled back. "No problem."

Lightning waved over her shoulder as she started off down the sidewalk. Without a car, it would be a long walk back to the hotel.

**oOo**

Cloud's motorcycle raced through the streets of Palampolum. At first, he had no idea where he was going when he packed his duffle bag and took off.

He was now beginning to understood the difficult emotional ride she had been going through. Why she ran away from home. Why she wouldn't return any of her sister's calls; his own cell phone was now loaded with messages from Tifa, pleading for him to come back and begging his forgiveness. But he hadn't returned them.

His plan was to check every hotel in Palampolum until he found the one where Lightning was staying. But it was getting dark now, and he'd soon have to check into somewhere for the night, whether she might be there or not.

Thankfully, at the last minute, he'd found the right hotel.

The instant after the manager told him where she was, he hurried up the stairs and down a few hallways before finding her room. Without any hesitation, he wrapped his fist hard against the door. The very sight of her after she'd answered it brought his blood pressure down a great deal. He could tell she had been sleeping because her face was dewy, her hair was messy, and she was in her pajamas.

She blinked a few times, unable to believe who she was staring at. "Cloud?" she mumbled.

"Yeah," he exhaled. "Mind if I come in?"

"N-Not at all." She stepped aside and let him in the room, locking the door.

Before Cloud could say anything (although he hadn't exactly planned on what to say when he got to this point), he watched as she let her soldier-esq exterior abruptly dropped. The next thing he knew, she had fallen to the floor in tears.

He knelt down in front of her, more concerned about her now than he had ever been. "What's the matter?" he whispered.

"Serah and Snow got married… and I missed it," she wept. "I missed their wedding because of my own stupid pride."

Cloud's voice was gentle. "I told you to answer your phone once in a while," he pointed out.

"I know," she admitted. "You were right, Cloud. I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not," he insisted. He raised her chin and stared into her glistening tears filled eyes. "Lightning," he began. "besides the fact that she's your sister, does it bother you that this Snow guy is married to someone else now?"

"Not really," she admitted.

Cloud thought his heart might've skipped a beat. "Why not?" he asked eagerly.

She exhaled, smiling. "Because," she answered. "I care about someone _else_ now… If you know what I mean."

In the next moment, the two were both caught up in a passionate series of kisses. Lightning had wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck in an effort to hold his lips tightly to hers, and he kept his arms around her waist, holding her as close as possible. Eventually, he picked her up and carried her over to the bed, gently laying her down. This kind of tension had been sparking between them all along, he realized. And they weren't about to fight it anymore.

Not giving it too much thought, he threw his duffle bags on the floor beside the bed.

Lightning heard the impact on the floor, and her eyes flew open. "Hold it," she said, bringing an abrupt end to their make-out session.

He blinked, surprised. "What's wrong?"

She moved out from under him and sat up, glanced at his bags, then turned to face him again. "Okay, before we get _too_ caught up in… whatever this is-" She knew full well what it was, but she wasn't about to say it aloud. "-would you mind explaining why you brought so much luggage?"

Cloud shifted his eyes away, pressing his lips together nervously. "Uh-"

"And come to think of it, what are you doing here in Palampolum? Did you follow me, or something?"

He relaxed his shoulders and rolled over onto his back. "It's a long story."

She ruffled her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten herself up a bit. "Try me."

With a chuckle, his let his head fall to one side, returning the smile she was giving him.


	16. Ch 15: Good Bye

CHAPTER FIFTEEEN

Good-Bye

* * *

><p>The rest of the night consisted of talking, a few more kisses, and ultimately ended in the two of them falling asleep in each other's arms. Lightning was the first to wake up the next morning, and made a drowsy smile when she discovered that Cloud was beside her.<p>

Her ringing cell phone caught her attention instantly. Lightning reached across Cloud's chest to pick it up from the nightstand, only to discover that it wasn't _her_ cell phone. It was his, and the caller I.D. had Tifa's name on it.

With a heavy breath, Cloud opened his eyes, startling Lightning by accident. He politely took the cell phone and checked the I.D. for himself. "Don't bother," he mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Lighting asked softly.

He smiled. "She's got her life, I've got mine," he said before planting a kiss on her forehead.

As they silently ate their breakfast, Cloud noted how deep in thought Lightning was. She was probably thinking about her sister's wedding and all. Not that he blamed her, of course. She was staring out the sunny window at the open sea next to the town boardwalk.

Lightning was the first to break the silence. "Cloud," she began, not looking at him. "what did Tifa do, exactly?"

He scowled. "I told you, already. And I don't care to repeat it," he insisted firmly. "All I'll say is she's been having this affair with Barret for more than a year now!"

"Hmm… Well, didn't we do the same thing?"

Cloud's lips parted, but he couldn't think of an excusable answer. Instead, he felt a wave of shame wash over him. Could he really blame Tifa so much for something he had also done himself? It's not like they were officially dating, or anything, so she hadn't cheated on him. But he _was_ going to propose to the woman at one time!

"She's been calling you, hasn't she?" Lightning asked, still sounding absent.

"A lot," he admitted.

At last, she turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "Then follow your own advice and answer your phone. Better yet, go home and talk things out with her. In other words, don't make the same mistake I did. You'd be surprised how much you'd miss if you stay away too long…" She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "Like Marlene and Denzel," she pointed out.

Cloud agreed with her, but he wasn't stupid; there was a double-meaning somewhere between the lines here. "Why are you making this sound like a good-bye?" he asked.

Lightning wasn't surprised at how quickly he'd picked up on her ulterior motive. "Because this _is_ a good-bye."

Cloud's stomach lurched as he leapt up from his chair. "What? Why!" His blue eyes were wide with panic. "But Lightning, I-"

"That's right. That's my name: Lightning." She calmly stood up from her chair, folding her arms. "It flashes bright, then fades away-Like it was never there to begin with… I've been away from home long enough. And I miss Serah. I need to make things right with her. Just like _you_ need to make things right with Tifa."

He frowned. "I don't even know if I can even face her after what she did."

Lightning smiled. "Oh, yes you can. Trust me."

"I understand what you're saying, but…" Ever since he was a teenager, Cloud had been a witness to many things: the destruction of his hometown, the death of Aerith, Meteor, even the fall of Shinra. He thought he had been toughened up, that he could handle anything. But when it came to loosing someone else he loved, his heart began to feel even heavier. "… but why do we have to just break it off like this? Can't we at least keep in touch?"

Lightning shook her head. "We better not. I've heard that long distance relationships don't work out that well. Besides, it would only compromise things further for you and Tifa. And as you know, I don't wanna be a home wrecker." She could see the hurt on his face and approached him with a hug, to which he returned. He also leaned his head up against the side of hers. "This isn't easy for me either, Cloud. Believe me…"

"Isn't there-" He did his best not to let his voice crack, but it wasn't working. "-anything I can do?"

She stepped back and dried his tears with her hands. "Yes," she replied with a nod. "You can give me a ride to the train station this afternoon."

**oOo**

While Lightning's bags were being loaded onto the train, the two stood in front of the station holding hands for what may be the very last time. They didn't talk. Instead, they just stared at each other. After all, what more could be said? For now, they were only trying to imprint this moment into their minds, so as never to forget what each other looked like.

"Well," Lightning whispered. "I guess this is it. Give my regards to Tifa, okay?" She turned and headed for the train, but Cloud wouldn't let to of her hand.

"Lightning, wait."

She looked back over her shoulder and watched him remove something from his finger. A ring with the image of a wolf's face molded onto it. She silently gasped as he delicately removed the fingerless glove from her left hand and slipped it onto her ring finger.

"Just something to remember me by." His voice, like his expression, was a sad one.

With a mere blink, Lightning's eyes were beginning to tear up again. But she refused to shed anymore tears for the sake of love; too heartbreaking. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him several times on the lips, of which he didn't resist. Then she pressed her forehead against his, whispering, "Thank you, Cloud Strife. For everything… For more than you know."

This prompted him to exhale, and another tear rolled down his cheek. "I love you, Lightning."

Those words would echo in her heart forever. "I-" Before she could finish, the train's whistle blew loudly from behind her. "I have to go." She ran towards the train, not looking back.

**oOo**

With a jolt, the train began to move. Lightning didn't look out the window beside her seat to see if Cloud was still there. Instead, she took her cell phone from her pocket, dialed Serah's number, and pressed it to her ear.

"Hi, Serah? It's Lightning… Yeah, it's really me. Did Hope tell you I paid him a visit?… I know, I've missed you, too… Listen, I'm calling because I wanted to apologize, and… And say, congratulations, _Mrs. Villiers_… Yeah, I'll be back by the time you guys get home from your honeymoon… I love you, too-and give my love to Snow, okay?… Alright, bye."

**…**

**_I have loved,_**

**_Or so I thought before._**

**_This is so much more._**

**_I couldn't last a day without you._**

**_In my life,_**

**_You're the reason that I breath._**

**_You're everything I need._**

**_And miles in between won't change that…_**


	17. Ch 16: The Search Is On!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Search Is On!

* * *

><p>Tifa's expression was unreadable as she closed the back of the moving truck, now filled with boxes of Cloud's belongings, including his motorcycle. "Well, that's the last of it," she said, sounding depressed.<p>

Cloud was equally depressed himself. All the while he was driving home, he realized that he was tired. Not so much physically as it was from his whole living situation. With Lightning gone, his boring delivery-boy routine was bound to fall back into place. So after making amends with Tifa, and hearing her promise that nothing all that physical had been going on between her and Barret-a promise that he wasn't entire sure he could believe-he forgave her. How could he not? After all, she was his best friend, and always would be.

But things were different between them now. Although they both tried to fight it, the shift in the atmosphere of their home was too much for them to take. Even Marlene and Deznel were feeling the tension, which he knew wasn't healthy for them. So, Cloud sold his half of the delivery business to Tifa and called his old friend Cid Highwind. He'd be moving all the way to Rocket Town.

As Cloud climbed into the driver's seat, Barret met him at the window. "Uh, Cloud?"

Cloud didn't take his eyes away from the windshield. Judging from the tone in Barret's voice, the man was probably worried about the current status of their friendship. "It's alright, Barret. I forgive you," he reassured him.

Barret relaxed a bit. "Thanks… But that's not that I was gonna ask."

"What, then?"

"Will ya be keeping' in touch with us?"

Cloud nodded. "Cid has great Internet access. I'll e-mail you."

Tifa appeared at Barret's side. "Just e-mail? Are we going to hear from you anytime soon? Will we even see you again?"

At last, Cloud turned to face them. Barret had his good arm wrapped around Tifa's waist. They really did make a nice-looking couple. "We've been through too much together for me to just erase the both of you from my life. We'll always be friends. That's a promise." As he turned the key and revved the truck to life, he shifted his eyes to Barret and said, "Take care of her and kids."

Barret nodded. "That's a promise," he repeated with a smile.

**oOo**

_Five months later…_

_**oOo**_

The one thing Cloud hated about living with Cid was the manner in which he was woken up every morning.

"Shera!" Cid yelled from downstairs. "Where's our BLEEP-ing breakfast!"

"It's coming, Cid. Eggs need their time to cook properly, you know!"

Cloud groaned as he concealed his head with his blanket. He didn't think Shera deserved to have that kind of language thrown at her all the time. But Cloud knew that Cid loved her… in his own unique way.

Ten minutes later after things had quieted down on the first floor below, Cloud decided it was time to get up. The first thing he did was check his e-mail, and found a delightfully surprising one that made him smile.

…

_Hi, Cloud! How are you?_

_Boy, a lot has changed since you moved away. First of all, Tifa had the business' name changed to "Lockheart's Deliver Service." Red XIII even moved here from Cosmo Canyon to help Dad out with the delivering… Hard to imagine how a big cat could help with that kind of stuff, but it's still pretty cool, huh?_

_Anyway, I'm writing because Denzel's birthday is coming up, and he really misses you. I think he'd like it a lot if you were here to wish him a happy birthday. That, and I miss you, too._

_By the way, do you know where Lightning went? Tifa's been trying to get in contact with her, but she never answers her phone. And Denzel really wants her to be at the party, too._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Marlene._

…

Cloud pressed the reply button and started typing.

…

_Hey, Marlene. Nice to hear from you._

_I'm glad that everything's going well at home. Yeah, I know Denzel's birthday is coming up, and I'll try to be there-but don't tell him. I don't want him to get his hopes up in case I can't make it. Sorry, I don't know where Lightning went. She never told me where she lives._

_I miss you, too. Nice hearing form you,_

_Cloud._

**oOo**

Cloud came into the kitchen to find Shera washing Cid's breakfast plates. Cloud was never big on breakfast himself, so he grabbed some orange juice from the refrigerator instead. That, and he didn't want to trouble Shera with more cooking. "Morning. Where's Cid?"

"Outside," she replied. "working on his latest rocket project again."

He noted how Shera seemed a little nervous, more so than usual. Had Cid's yelling really upset her that much this time? Even if it had, he wasn't about to ask. It was none of his business.

"Hey, Cloud?"

Then again, maybe it was.

Shera dried her hands with a towel and turned around, leaning up against the counter. "I hope you're not angry with me for prying, but… this Lightning woman that you worked with…"

The mere mention of her name sent a stinging pang through his heart. "What about her?"

"Well, you mentioned that she worked for the Guardian Corps, right?" That's when Shera reached into the pocket of her apron, took out a piece of paper and handed it to him.

When Cloud unfolded the page, his eyes widened.

It was a picture of Lightning sitting on a couch with her legs crossed, her Gunblade resting on her lap. There was even a small biography, including her age and real name: _Claire Farron._

"Where did you find this?" he asked eagerly.

"The Guardian Corps' website," Shera replied. "It has a fairly detailed list of all its best members-and she was one of the few who had made it to the top. Unfortunately, the site's pretty strict when it came to privacy. I couldn't find where she lives or even her home phone number."

"Why were you even looking?" Cloud asked.

"You've been depressed since you moved in with us. And I know it's because you miss her." She shrugged. "I thought that maybe if you could at least give her a call, then you'd feel better… Maybe I never should've showed this to you."

Cloud gazed at the page again. "Thanks, Shera," he said, smiling at her. "Mind if I keep this?"

"Not at all," she replied before returning her attention to the dishes.

A loud explosion came from outside, frightening the two of them. Less than a minute later, Cid came stumbling through the front door, covered in grease and cussing quite loudly. "Cloud!" he yelled. "I need yer help out back! One a' the motors blew up on me!"

"Right away, Captain," Cloud replied with a chuckle. He was being paid to do this, so he wasn't about to complain. That, and he felt like he had just been given a new hope. A new resolve.

It may have been just a picture, but this had been the first time he'd seen Lightning's beautiful face in months. This had brought every memory, every moment, everything about her that he'd tried to forget-although his heart wouldn't allow him to do so. After five months of feeling completely emotionally numb, his rekindled feelings made him feel like he was in love all over again.

"_You're on the right track, Cloud… Don't worry. It's not too late to get your priorities straight."_

And in his heart, he finally realized exactly what "priorities" Aerith had meant all along: he had set things right with Tifa and Barret, so there was nothing to hold him back now.

No matter how long it took him, he was going to find Lightning.


	18. Ch 17: Bodhum Bound

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Bodhum Bound

* * *

><p><em>Two months later…<em>

_**oOo**_

"Cloud!" Elmyra declared happily upon answering the door.

"Hi, Mrs. G.," he said with a half smile. "How have you been?"

"Just fine, thank you!… Well, don't just stand there. Come in! I was just about to take some cooking out of the oven."

Cloud stepped inside and sat down at the kitchen table, and Elmyra came back out with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. "Please, help yourself."

"No thank you," he said. "I've gotta save my appetite for cake. It's Denzel's birthday."

"Oh, how exciting! How old is he?"

"Thirteen."

"Wow. That old already?" She pulled her seat over to sit closer to him. "I heard from Barret that you moved all the way to Rocket Town," she said, making light conversation.

"Yeah, I did," he replied. "Actually, I'm still living there. But only for a short while."

"Really? Where are you planning to move next?"

He sighed. "Well, I'm hoping to move in with Lightning." _If I can find her, that is._

Elmyra grinned. "Oh… You two are that serious, huh?"

"We were, but… You know, it's too long a story. Anyway, I felt I owed you a visit while I was in town." His gaze drifted to the pictures on the shelves. Most of them were of Aerith when she was younger. "That, and a few weeks ago was the anniversary of when… Meteor happened."

Elmrya gently took his hand. "Cloud," she said softly, although he wouldn't look at her. "you have to stop blaming yourself. Aerith's death was not your fault."

"But it was no accident, either. I couldn't prevented it." He hung his head in shame.

Elmyra shook her head insistently. "No," she said. "You forget that I knew her very well, and I think she probably knew that she would join the Lifestream sooner than most. Thus is the life of an Ancient… You know, I raised her up from the time she was seven years-old. And since then, not a day went by when I didn't see her smile."

Cloud chuckled, facing her again. "Same here. Even when the world was falling down around us, she always found a reason to smile."

"And she'd want you to do the same," Elmyra pointed out. "Which brings me to the subject of my next question: Why are you _really_ here?"

He blinked, surprised. "How did you guess?"

"I've been around a long time, Cloud. I know these things… What's on your mind?"

He began with a deep breath, then spoke. "Lighting quit her job with us shortly before I moved away, and we kind of lost touch. That wasn't necessarily something we wanted, but it just sort of happened… for reasons I don't care to explain."

Elmyra nodded. "That's fine… Continue."

"Well, I've been looking for her so that we can kind of… get back together and stuff."

"Mm-hmm."

"And I know she had dinner here once…"

"Correct."

"So… I was wondering if maybe she'd mentioned anything about where she lived?" The more he talked, the more his face flushed. As he stared face-to-face with Elmyra-Aerith's _mother_-he suddenly realized how different this moment might be… That is, if things had turned out differently four years ago; he could be sitting here asking for Aerith's hand in marriage rather than about some other girl. But life had thrown him a curve ball in this case, and nothing could be done to change that.

But Elmyra wasn't offended. Instead, she rested her elbows on the table and thoughtfully laced her fingers together. "Let's see… Well, I can't quite remember what I cooked for her, but I know that she cleaned her plate pretty well. We made a some conversation and-" Her eyes brightened. "Oh! She mentioned that she was from somewhere on Cocoon."

"I figured that much," Cloud said. "She was with the Guardian Corps."

Elmyra's jaw dropped. "What she! Funny, she didn't look all that muscular." Then she laughed. "No wonder you're looking for her. The woman's perfect for you!"

Cloud looked away so that she wouldn't see him blush again. No, Lightning wasn't muscular, but she certainly was attractive. And yes, he felt that they made a pretty good team-and an even better match.

He remained quiet while Elmyra submerged herself in serious thought. Then, finally, she snapped her fingers. "Ah-hah! Now I remember!" she declared. "She said she was from a place called Bodhum."

Cloud's stomach began to flutter with excitement. "Are you sure?" he asked, eyes wide and lips parted. Even his breathing sounded shaky now.

"Posative," she confirmed with a nod. "I remember because off how surprised I was when she told me. I asked, 'What brings you to Midgar?' And she said, 'Life.'"

Cloud laughed, more for joyous reasons than humor. "That sounds like something she'd say."

After a brief pause, Elmyra squared her shoulders and grinned. "Well, what are you sitting around here for? Go find her, young man!"

"Yes, ma'am!" he said with a laugh before standing up and heading for the door. "Thanks, Elmyra. You have no idea how much you've helped me just now."

"Wait! Not yet!"

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and looked back over his shoulder. Had she forgotten to mention something else that was important?

No. She only scurried into the kitchen, came back out with a plastic bag, and dumped the plate of cookies into it. "Give these cookies to Denzel for his birthday," she instructed him. "And tell him not to eat too many at a time, or he'll get a stomach ache."

Cloud smiled as he took the bag from her. "I will."

Elmyra gave him a one-armed hug, to which he returned. "Thanks for dropping by, Cloud. And don't be a stranger, for Gaia's sake! Come by anytime you feel like it."

"I will."

"Good," she stated. "Now go, or you'll be late for Denzel's party!"

"Okay!" Cloud laughed.

After leaving the house, he got back on his bike and began his slow drive down the dirt road. At last, he'd found the lead he'd been looking for, and repeated it over and over in his mind so that he wouldn't forget. _Claire Farron… Bodhum, Cocoon. _He'd be on his way there as soon as possible.

But first, he had some other priorities to tend to. There was a piece of cake with his name on it, and after that, he needed to do some pretty expensive shopping.

He laughed at himself. For once, he was thinking like Aerith.


	19. Ch 18: When Lightning Strikes

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

When Lightning Strikes

* * *

><p><em>Present day…<em>

_**oOo**_

Just as they were all about to head out, the phone rang.

The party froze mid-way out the door, and with a heavy sigh, Snow hung his head. "Oh, great…"

Lightning turned on her heel and headed toward the phone. "It might be the Lieutenant. I should take this… You guys go on the motorcycle. I'll meet you there."

"Fine by me," Snow said eagerly.

Serah linked her arm with his as they left the house, closing the door behind them.

Lightning pressed the talk button and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Um, hi… Is Claire Farron there?"

Lightning quietly caught her breath. It wasn't the Lieutenant, but this guy's voice sounded a bit _too_ familiar. Yet, she wouldn't allow herself to falter. "Speaking," she replied with her usual manner of authority in her voice.

There other end of the line was quiet for a few seconds. Then, finally, he spoke again. "Hi, Light."

No doubt about it. It was really him.

At last, Lightning's pretence fell away. For an instant, she thought she might even cry. "Oh my God." The words escaped her lips in a whisper. Maybe they were prompted by the intense pounding of her heart. "How did you find me?"

"Well, it wasn't easy, but at least I did," Cloud replied. "Anyway, how have you been? You know, with your sister and all?"

Lightning was stone frozen by the mere sound of his voice. It took her a minute to realize that he was asking her a question. "Huh?… Oh, fine. Everyone's fine. And you?"

"I'm great. And guess what? Tifa and Barret are getting married."

"Really? Wow…" She placed her free hand over her stomach, trying to ease her nerves. Keeping her voice level wasn't easy in this case. "How does that make _you_ feel, though?"

"It's fine with me," he replied. "Tifa and I had a long talk. We're on good terms now."

"Oh…" Then she fell silent. And for the first time, she realized that she was quivering with every breath. Cloud sounded equally nervous, too, yet somewhat excited at the same time.

"Um, Lightning?" he asked. "Do you remember when you told me that… that lightning flashes bright, then fades away?"

"Like it was never there to begin with," she added. "I remember."

"Well, I hate to say this, but you were wrong."

It felt like her stomach had leapt up into her throat. "How so?" she asked calmly.

"Because I never forget you," he explained. "There are only a few other people who've impacted my life as greatly as you have… But you moved me in a way I never expected. I tried to move on with my life after you were gone, but you were always somewhere in the back of my mind." He chuckled. "I guess that guy on the weather channel was right."

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "What guy?"

"A guy who had survived this bad thunder storm not too long ago, but he was struck by actual lightning in the process. After he got out of the hospital, he told reporters, 'You never forget when lightning strikes you. And it's a feeling like no other.' I agree with him."

Lightning's eyes widened, and although she hadn't realized it, her jaw had dropped as well. "I know the feeling," she breathed. "And you know what else, Cloud? I didn't realize until now just how much I've missed you."

"The feeling's mutual," he said.

Her heart was pounding even harder now. Why was she saying this stuff? It was so unlike her! She had to get off this phone-now-before she ended up gushing out some teary love confession, or something! "Listen, um… I have to meet my sister somewhere. So, can we get together and catch up another time?"

One could almost hear the smile in his voice. "I'd like that."

"Great," she laughed nervously. "Can you call me tomorrow?"

"Definitely… I love you, Lightning."

She inhaled. It didn't seem appropriate to return these kinds of feelings over the phone. Besides, she needed more time to think about this. About what she was going to say. How she would to put her own feelings into words. "I know. Bye."

With that, she hung up the phone… and started crying. Lightning had realized a long time ago exactly what she felt for Cloud all along, from the first time they met to the last time they kissed. But those memories were so heart wrenching that she could never bring herself to admit it aloud.

And she still wouldn't… Not yet, anyway.

…

_**In my dreams,**_

_**You're right here by my side.**_

_**Each time I close my eyes,**_

_**I still see that sweet September.**_

_**In the rain,**_

_**Laughing in the rain.**_

_**I'll never be the same**_

_**Until the moment we're together…**_


	20. Ep: To Hear You Say You Love Me

EPILOGUE

To Hear You Say You Love Me

* * *

><p>The fireworks looked spectacular against the night sky. Everywhere she looked, Lightning could see bursts of color that panned out into almost floral designs. The surrounding crowd could hardly contain their own excitement as they watched. From where she was standing, Lightning caught a glimpse of Snow and Serah flying through the colorful lights on their anti-gravity bike; they were so far up that they looked like tiny ants.<p>

Lightning hadn't been one for making wishes since her parents died, but tonight she would make an exception. As she stared up at the fireworks, she mentally wished that when Cloud called the next day, she would be one step closer to making her future even brighter than the lights above.

"You look dreamy, Farron."

Lightning gasped. She hadn't even noticed Lieutenant Amodar approach her from behind.

"Wishing on fireworks, were you?" He asked as he looked up at the sky. Then he laughed at her. "And you call yourself a soldier."

Lightning chuckled before giving him a solute. "Sorry, Lieutenant. But I really don't think guard duty is my calling, sir."

"Well, lucky for you, your shift just ended."

"But-sir. I thought my shift didn't end for another hour."

"Change of plans," he replied, not looking away from the fireworks. "You taking tomorrow off?"

"Sir, for my birthday, sir. My sister, she insisted on it."

"Twenty-one, huh?" he asked. "Maybe it's a good time to start your officer training." He placed his hand on her shoulder as he said this, looking like a proud father as he smiled at her.

Lightning could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Lieutenant…"

"You're past due for a promotion, Farron. Think of your future." He returned his attention to the fireworks. "Someone's already here to help you get started with your training."

"This soon?" Lightning asked, surprised.

"You're new supervisor's waiting at the dock," the Lieutenant replied. "Now, get going. You don't wanna keep this guy waiting-Believe me."

**oOo**

Lightning marched toward the dock with her shoulders squared, keeping one hand anxiously gripped on the handle of her Gunblade. As she stepped onto the wooden planks, she saw the figure of a man at far end. But she was unable to make out what he looked at first because it was so dark.

Then a white firework exploded, and his face was instantly illuminated.

Lightning froze in place, suddenly in such a state of shock that she couldn't make another move. He must've realized this, because he approached her instead, stopping directly in front of her to place a hand on her cheek.

Even his touch felt real. She wasn't hallucinating.

That's when her tears started falling.

"Don't cry, _Claire,_" Cloud whispered, putting extra emphasis on her real name. "You should be happy. You're about to be promoted to an even higher rank… Once I'm done training you, that is."

"Cloud," she wept, unable to fight the tears. "why didn't you tell me you were in Bodhum when we were on the phone earlier!"

He leaned in closer and whispered into the shell of her ear. "Because I wanted to surprise you." It had been a long time since he'd been this close to her, and he didn't want the moment to end anytime soon. He also couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled this much.

Without thinking, Lightning pressed her mouth against his, closing her eyes. She proceeded to leave a series of loving kisses on his lips, well aware that other soldiers from her faction were probably watching, but she didn't care. "We've got a lot to catch up on," she pointed out to him. "How long has it been? Almost a year?"

"Eight months," Cloud replied. "But before we get to the catching up part…" He reached into his pocket and took out a small white box. "This is for you."

Lightning wiped her face clean of tears before taking the gift from him. "Cloud, you didn't have to-" But when she removed the lid, she was left speechless. Inside was a lime-green keychain that looked similar to his-the one that held the key to his bike… Only, this was a different key entirely.

Her expression was completely aghast. "You didn't."

"I did."

And, for the first time in her life, Lightning deliberately allowed herself to go completely out of character: She began by squealing so loudly that her voice echoed through the night air, then threw her arms around Cloud's neck so forcefully he had to stumble back, making him laugh.

She rested her hands on his chest. Cloud kept his arms wrapped around her waist. He wasn't about to let her go.

"You actually bought me a _bike?_" she asked.

"Well, I'd already given you a ring. So I had to propose with something else."

With a blink, Lightning's expression became unreadable. "What?"

Cloud unlinked his arms from around her and gently took her left hand-the one that was wearing his wolf ring-and rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. "When you left eight months ago on that train," he began. "even though you didn't know it, you took a piece of my heart with you… And I've been missing it-Missing you. You're a part of me, Lighting… And I wanna stand by you, no matter what happens. I'm yours forever. Claire Farron… My one. My only. Will you-"

She cut him off by planted another kiss on his lips.

Cloud was so nervous that he wasn't sure what to make of this gesture. She was staring at him wordlessly, but still smiling, so at least something good must be going through her mind.

"I love you, Cloud Strife," she whispered.

Cloud was relieved-and happy. Not only was she saying yes, but this was the first time she'd ever told him she loved him. "I love you, too," he replied.

…

_**I will reach out to the ocean**_

_**With my arms wide open**_

_**And send to you my heart,**_

_**My soul,**_

_**My true devotion.**_

_**Know there's nothing I won't give.**_

_**Do you know that I live**_

_**For the chance to hear you say you love me…**_

* * *

><p>"You did a good job, Aerith," Zack commented as they both watched from afar, unseen. "Actually, I'm surprised at how well this turned out."<p>

"Well, I had to do _something,_ Zack. You saw the way Cloud was moping around." She smiled proudly. "And I knew the minute I saw Lightning that she was perfect for him."

Zack pulled one side of his mouth up into a half-grin. "Hey, I saw her first."

Aerith suddenly glared at him. "What was that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. "Could you repeat that please?"

Zack immediately held up both hands in defense. "You know I didn't mean it like _that,_" he pointed out nervously.

"Well then, what _did_ you mean?" she probed.

He gulped. "I-I meant that I saw her and… she seemed like Cloud's type, and-and then I told you, and-"

At last, Aerith smiled again. "I'm just kidding, Zack," she giggled. "We've been together long enough; you should know me better than that!" She returned her attention to the happy couple. "They really do look good together, don't they?"

Zack smiled at the scene. "Yes, they do." Then he wordlessly put his arm around Aerith's shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.

She leaned her head against him and put her arm around his waist. "I love you, too."

…

_**For the chance to hear you say you love me.**_

**oOo**

**THE END**

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <strong>I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who's watched/faved/reviewed this story. I loved writing it as much as I hope you enjoyed reading it! Review wise, you have made this my best fanfic to date, and I really appreciate it!

Thanks so much, everyone! Bye for now!


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